Grill cleaner



p ,1968 w. J. BELL 3,402,414

GR ILL CLEANER Filed July 11, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

FIG. 3 MLLARD JBELL.

w a w A7- TOQNZYQ W. J. BELL GRILL CLEANER Sept. 24, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 11, 1966 F I G 6 INVENTOR.

MLLARD J BELL BY M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,402,414 GRILL CLEANER Willard J. Bell, 1355 W. Iowa Ave., St. Paul, Minn. 55113 Filed July 11, 1966, Ser. No. 564,260 3 Claims. (Cl. --23) This invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning of the cooking surfaces of grills, grids, and the like and more specifically to improvements in power ope rated devices of this character.

In prior art devices of .this type, such as the device described in Patent 3,196,473 entitled, Grill Cleaner, and invented by the same inventor, an elongated generally cylindrical brush element powered by an electric motor is utilized to clean refuse and other foreign material from the surfaces of grills and the like. In this prior art the rotation of the brush element is rearwardly along the surface of the grill so that the foreign material is thrown rearwardly into a refuse collecting receptacle. Generally some of this material misses the receptacle, which is placed behind the brush element, and strikes the operator, thereby, making the operation of the device extremely unpleasant.

-In addition, these prior art devices utilize a deflector tongue which extends outwardly from the refuse collecing receptacle into the periphery of the brush element so as to clean the refuse from the bristles therein. The deflector tongue is situated in these prior art devices so that refuse will collect thereunder and impair the operation thereof. As refuse collects under the deflector tongue the tongue is forced away from the outer periphery of the brush elements and partially closes the mouth of the refuse collecting receptacle. As the mouth of the refuse collecting receptacle is closed more refuse builds up under the deflector tongue and this cycle continues until the entire device is rendered inoperable. Also, in these prior art devices. the refuse collecting receptacle is a generally box-like structure which is extremely diflicult to clean or to provide with replaceable liners.

In the present improved grill cleaner the entire structure is designed so that the refuse. collecting receptacle is extremely easy to clean or provide with a replaceable liner and the deflector tongue cooperates with the receptacle to form a mouth through which the refuse can easily and accurately enter the receptacle. The deflector tongue is situated so that it prevents refuse from flying rearwardly and striking the operator and so that refuse striking the deflector tongue is directed back into the brush element and utimately into the refuse collecting receptacle. In addition, refuse and the like cannot build up around the deflector tongue to render it inoperable and the deflector tongue is'biased so that it will retain the approximate position relative to the brush element throughout the operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved grill cleaner.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a grill cleaner which is cleaner to operate and easier to maintain.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a grill cleaner in which the various parts are situated so that refuse cannot build up therebetween and render the device inoperable.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying specification, claims, and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the figures:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the present device;

3,402,414 Patented Sept. 24, 1968 FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation illustrating the left side of the device in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 is a sectional view as seen from the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in bottom plan of the device in FIG. 1, parts thereof broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 5 is a view in front elevation of the device illustrated in FIG. 1, parts thereof broken away; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the refuse collecting receptacle and a replaceable liner.

In the figures the numeral 10 generally designates a housing having laterally spaced apart side walls 11 and 12, an upper wall 13, a rear wall 14 and a lower wall 15. The housing 10 is generally box-like in shape with the front end thereof open and the forward lower corners of the side walls 11 and 12 extending somewhat outwardly in front of the lower wall 15.

The forward lower corners of the side walls 11 and 12 each have an opening coaxially positioned therein and an elongated generally cyclindrical brush element 20 is journalled therein for rotation. The brush element 20 is positioned so that the outer periphery thereof extends somewhat below the lower wall 15 of the housing 10. One end of the brush element 20 extends through the side wall 11 and has a pulley 21 fixedly attached thereto for rotation therewith.

Suitably mounted within the housing 10 is a power means in the nature of an electric motor 25 In the present embodiment the electric motor 25 is adapted to be energized by a suitable source of electric power, such as volt 60 cycle, through a pair of leads 26 and 27. The leads 26 and 27 are in turn attached to a cord 28 through a switching mechanism 29. The switching mechanism 29 is in the form of a trigger and hammer mechanism simulating a western style revolver. A revolver style grip '30 operates as the handle for the grill cleaner. In the present embodiment the switch mechanism 29 operates to energize the motor 25 when the trigger and hammer are in the forward position and to de-energize the motor 25 when the trigger and/ or hammer are in the rearward position. It should be understood that the motor 25 could be energized through any convenient source of electrical power such as batteries, etc.

The motor 25 has a pulley 35 fixedly attached to its output shaft for rotation therewith. A flexible belt 36 operatively attaches the pulley 35 to the pulley 21 so that the brush element 20 rotates when the motor 25 is energized. An elongated guard 37 is attached to the side wall 11 over the pulleys 21 and 35 and the belt 36 to prevent injuries therefrom.

Immediately to the rear of the brush element 20 is a rectangular opening in the side wall 12. A refuse collecting receptacle 40 with a generally U-shaped crosssection is fixedly attached to one surface of a flat plate 41. The opposite surface of the plate 41 has a knob 42 fixedly attached thereto. The upper edge of the receptacle 40 has a downwardly projecting flange 43 extending the length thereof. The flange 43 is adapted to slidably engage an angle 44 having approximately an equal length and fixedly attached between the side walls 11 and 12 so as to be accessible through the opening in the side wall 12. The plate 41 is of a size to completely close the opening in the side wall 12 when the flange is engaged over the angle 44 and the lower edge of the receptacle 40 rests on the lower wall 15 of the housing 10 adjacent the front edge thereof. The receptacle 40 has a pair of hook-like sharpened projections 45 mounted near the upper flange 43 and are hook-like sharpened projections 46 located near the lower edge of recepticle 40, both being mounted on the inner surface thereof which are adapted to receive a replaceable liner 47 thereover. The replaceable liner 47 is made from any suitable material, such as paper, plastic, etc. and is simply formed into a U to fit the general cross-sectional contour of the receptacle 40.

A blade-like deflector tongue 50 is pivotally mounted between the side walls 11 and 12 at its upper edge and extends generally verticaly downward somewhat to the rear of the axis of the brush element 20. The lower edge of the deflector tongue 50 is bent slightly forwardly, approximately parallel to the radius of the brush element 20, and engages the brush element 20 at its periphery and along the entire longitudinal dimension thereof. A pair of tension springs 51 and 52 each have one end fixedly attached to either side of the deflector tongue 50 and the other ends are attached to the inner surfaces of the side walls 11 and 12 adjacent the brush element 20. The springs 51 and 52 apply a bias to the deflector tongue 50 tending to pull the lower edge thereof against the bristles of the brush element 20.

When the structure immediately above described is energized and moved over the cooking surface of a grill or grid for purposes of cleaning same, refuse such as grease or other residual material removed from such cooking surfaces by the bristles of the brush element 20 will have a tendency to adhere thereto until the bristles come into contact with the blade-like deflector tongue 50. The lower edge of the deflector tongue 50 is in wiping engagement with the outer periphery of the brush element 20 which causes progressive deflection of the bristles therein. However, as the bristles pass by the deflector tongue 5t) they straighten out with sufficient snap-action, as they assume their normal position, to free themselves of any such residual material adhering thereto. This residual material is thrown into the receptacle 40. Any residual material that is thrown from the bristles of the brush element 20 by centrifugal force Will strike the generally vertical deflector tongue 50 and will be directed downwardly into the brush element 20 where it will be thrown into the receptacle 40. Thus, no residual material is thrown rearwardly at the operator and there are no crannies in which the material can build up and impair operation of the grill cleaner. Also, it should be noted that the receptacle 40 is constructed so as to be easy to clean and/or cover with a replaceable liner such as the liner 47.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of this invention, further modifications and improve- 4 ments will occur to those skilled in the art. I desire it to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular form shown and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A grill cleaner comprising:

(a) a frame structure;

(b) a horizontally disposed generally cylindrical brush element journalled for rotation in said frame structure;

(c) a refuse collecting receptacle detachably securable in said frame radially outwardly of said brush element and having a bottom wall which terminates adjacent the peripheral limits of said brush element;

(d) power means carried by said frame structure for imparting rotation to said brush element in a direction to cause the lower limits thereof to move in a direction away from said receptacle;

(e) a blade-like deflector tongue pivotally attached to said frame structure and cooperating with the bottom wall of said receptacle to define a mouth of a width equal at least to the longitudinal dimension of said brush element,

(f) said deflector tongue projecting downwardly from said frame structure and the lower edge thereof engageable with the peripheral portion of said brush element throughout its longitudinal dimension; and

(g) said deflector tongue being yieldingly biased toward said brush element.

2. A grill cleaner as set forth in claim 1 wherein the refuse collecting receptacle has a generally Ushaped cross-section.

3. A grill cleaner as set forth in claim 1 wherein the deflector tongue forms a generally vertical front wall positioned somewhat rearwardly from the axis of the brush element for stopping dirt particles which are thrown rearwardly and directing them back toward said brush element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,196,473 7/1965 Bell 1523 EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GRILL CLEANER COMPRISING: (A) A FRAME STRUCTURE; (B) A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL BRUSH ELEMENT JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION IN SAID FRAME STRUCTURE; (C) A REFUSE COLLECTING RECEPTACLE DETACHABLY SECURABLE IN SAID FRAME RADIALLY OUTWARDLY OF SAID BRUSH ELEMENT AND HAVING A BOTTOM WALL WHICH TERMINATES ADJACENT THE PERIPHERAL LIMITS OF SAID BRUSH ELEMENT; (D) POWER MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME STRUCTURE FOR IMPARTING ROTATION TO SAID BRUSH ELEMENT IN A DIRECTION TO CAUSE THE LOWER LIMITS THEREOF TO MOVE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM SAID RECEPTACLE; (E) A BLADE-LIKE DEFLECTOR TONGUE PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO SAID FRAME STRUCTURE AND COOPERATING WITH THE BOTTOM WALL OF SAID RECEPTACLE TO DEFINE A MOUTH OF A WIDTH EQUAL AT LEAST TO THE LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION OF SAID BRUSH ELEMENT, (F) SAID DEFLECTOR TONGUE PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID FRAME STRUCTURE AND THE LOWER EDGE THEREOF ENGAGEABLE WITH THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF SAID BRUSH ELEMENT THROUGHOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION; AND (G) SAID DEFLECTOR TONGUE BEING YIELDINGLY BIASED TOWARD SAID BRUSH ELEMENT. 